EngRegional
DRC-Burundi alliance a threat to regional peace
Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye (left) and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi (right).
The government of Burundi is
training a militia group called Imbonerakure, in order to send them to fight in
the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Meanwhile, the latter is
also training Wazalendo, another Congolese militia, to terrorize the Congolese
Kinyarwanda-speaking community.
What is behind the thriving
DRC-Burundi relationship?
The ties between Kinshasa and
Gitega are linked to a sinister common bond; a genocide ideology. Instead of
learning from the consequences of the legitimization of Wazalendo to DRC,
Burundi choose to empower Imbonerakure to carry out the government’s
ideological plans.
Imbonerakure is an armed,
murderous, militarized, partisan, powerful, unaccountable, and uneducated
militia. This is how many people, in and even outside Burundi, describe
Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the ruling party. It, however, dismisses such
accusations as opposition propaganda.
Burundi’s stance in the
escalating security crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) is a big concern not only to the Congolese people and the entire region,
but also to Gitega.
Gitega and Kinshasa have had a
thriving relationship following a secret bilateral defense pact signed in
August 2023, by Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and his Burundi
counterpart Évariste Ndayishimiye.
The increasing involvement of
Burundian soldiers in the escalating security crisis in the east of DRC is
alarming for the Congolese. These forces are a grave concern as they engage in
combat against the very people they are meant to safeguard, further aggravating
internal tensions.
According to a rights body,
Burundian armed forces and Imbonerakure members took part in armed combat in
neighboring DRC.
Since the beginning of 2024,
the deployment of Burundian soldiers to eastern DRC brought no peace, as these
forces aim to resolve conflicts militarily, and their involvement is
exacerbating an already bad situation.
Burundi has been conducting
offensive operations against the M23 rebels, resulting in the deaths and
displacement of hundreds of thousands more Congolese people.
These offensive attacks
against M23 rebels claimed the lives of thousands of Burundian soldiers,
however Ndayishimiye is now sending in Imbonerakure who aren’t well trained to
sacrifice their lives in DRC.
These violent acts against the
Kinyarwanda-speaking community in DRC revealed to the public that Kinshasa and
its coalition are incapable of ensuring their safety. Consequently, people are
beginning to exercise sound judgment and are opting for an alternative path
that promises lasting peace and security.
Ndayishimiye, inspired by Tshisekedi’s Wazalendo, is empowering Imbonerakure to fight and escalate insecurity where the Burundian national army, FDNB, failed. But it will only lead to a disaster as their ill will cannot prevail.
